Ron and Renee have volunteered across the Tampa Bay area for nearly three generations, giving themselves to make the Tampa Bay community a better place to live. Ron served as president of the University of Tampa for more than 25 years and while building the school to what it is today, also found time to serve the community, volunteering at numerous charities across the Bay Area.
Renee's philanthropic work has been deeply rooted in her compassion for other women, including her dedication to Lifepath Hospice Women for Philanthropy. She has volunteered at the hospice helping women in a lot of different areas to make the biggest impact, including at fundraising events and other vital community programs. Her hard work has enabled women and their families who cannot afford home health and palliative medicine services to get the treatments and care they need. Renee is also actively engaged in the community: In 2015, she received the prestigious Parke Wright III Leadership Award from Leadership Tampa Alumni and was named a Woman of Distinction by the Girl Scouts of West Central Florida. She is the 2016 Chair of the Circle of Red for the American Heart Association.
Ron and Renee become the 440th Lightning Community Heroes since Jeff and Penny Vinik introduced the Lightning Community Hero program in 2011-12 with a $10 million, five-season commitment to the Tampa Bay community. Through tonight's game, in total, the Lightning Foundation has granted $23.05 million to more than 750 different nonprofits in the Greater Tampa Bay area. During the summer of 2016, the Viniks announced that the community hero program will give away another $10 million over the next five seasons.
